Leaked Emails Show Facebook Exec Shared Research With Clinton Campaign

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg shared research with key members of the Clinton campaign, newly released emails show.

Sandberg has endorsed Clinton, and just last month Politico reported that Clinton may tap Sandberg for Treasury secretary if elected.

Clinton aide Cheryl Mills set up a meeting in March, 2015 for Sandberg to share research with members of Hillary Clinton’s inner circle, including chief campaign strategist Joel Benenson and campaign manager John Podesta.

At the meeting, which took place a month before Clinton formally announced her candidacy for president, Sandberg shared research on “gender and leadership by women.” It’s unclear from the emails if the research in question was done by Facebook, or if it was Sandberg’s personal research.

A Facebook official speaking on background said the research Sandberg was sharing with the Clinton campaign came from her personal work, and was unrelated to Sandberg’s work at Facebook.

“I have arranged for *Sheryl Sandberg and her researcher to be available on 5 March at 10 am to step through the research on gender and leadership by women*. The HRC meeting begins at 11am,” Mills wrote to Benenson in February 2015.

“Are you available then for such a meeting?” she asked. “If so, who else should be included?”

“Yes. I can do it. I would also like to bring Katie Connolly, the VP who is working with me on all HRC work if that’s OK,” Benenson replied.

Mills then blasted out an email about the logistics of the meeting to Podesta, Benenson and other key figures like Kristina Schake, who is now the deputy communications director for the Clinton campaign.

Mills’ back-and-forth with Benenson was included in the email covering logistics. That email was one of thousands of stolen from Podesta’s personal email account and published by Wikileaks.